HEALER (Completed)

Chapter 36

PRINCE KENZO BROUGHT Nathalie outside of the Academy after talking to his son, Neo. Specifically, he brought Nathalie in the magical garden which is a very nice place for them to talk. Wala ding mga estudyante rito ngayon kaya solong-solo nilang dalawa ang buong lugar. Walang iistorbo sa kanila.

Both of them are silent. Kapwa nag-aantayan kung sino ang unang magsasalita. But Kenzo already had enough of it that's why he insisted to open up their conversation. For good.

"Why did you hide Neo from me?" Tanong niya rito.  "Ganun na ba ako kasama para pagkaitan mo ako ng pagkakataon na maging ama sa kaniya." Napamura siya. Hindi niya lang mapigilan ang sarili na makaramdam ng negatibo ngayon. He wants to be calm right now like what his son requested from him but doing it was just too difficult. Parang sasabog na ang kaniyang puso.

"5 fucking years Nathalie! Limang taon mo siyang itinago sa akin!"

Nathalie looks at her with a very sad face. Guilt was written all over her face.

"And do you think gusto ko ang ginawa ko?" She asked.

"Hindi nga ba?"

"Don't judge me so easily because you don't know the truth!" She fired back.

"Then fucking tell me!" Punong-puno na siya rito sa babae. Kung alam lang nito kung gaano siyang nagtitimpi ngayon. "Ang sama-sama mo Nath! Minahal mo ba talaga ako?"

"MINAHAL KITA!" Nathalie shouted. Tears then began to fell in her eyes. So is he. Kapwa lang naman sila nasasaktan ngayon. "Minahal kita pero mas mahal ko ang anak natin! Mas pipiliin ko pang mawala ka sa akin kaysa mawala si Neo sa akin."

Kumunot ang kaniyang noo sa sinabi nito. "W-What do you mean?" He stuttered.

Nathalie heaved a deep sighed. Tinuyo na rin nito ang sariling luha at pagkuwan ay buong tapang siyang hinarap.

"You don't need to know the truth. Ang mahalaga ay nakilala mo na ang anak natin."

Naiinis niyang ginulo ang kaniyang buhok. "Tangina naman Nathalie! May karapatan din ako na malaman ang nangyari sa inyo."

Umiling naman ito. "No. It's better if you didn't know it. Just live like you usually do. But this time, you have Neo to take care of."

Sinamaan niya ito ng tingin. "I disagree. As a father of our child, I deserve to know the truth."

Nanghahamon naman siyang tinapunan ng tingin ni Nathalie. "Mapapanindigan mo kaya iyang sinasabi mo pagkatapos mong malaman ang totoo?"

He nods while not breaking an eye contact with her. "Make me."

It's now or never.

"Everything that happened to us five years ago was your grandmother's fault." Nagulat siya sa sinabi nito. Paanong nadamay dito sa isyu nila ang kaniyang Lola Corazon. "She's the one who forced me to broke up with you because she believed that I'm not good enough for you..for your family."

"N-No. That's not true," naiiling na sabi niya. He knows his grandma can't do such thing. Hindi niya magagawa iyon. Lola knows how much I loved Nathalie.

He saw Nathalie bitterly smile seeing his reaction. "That's the main reason why I hide the truth from you. Alam ko kung gaano mo kamahal ang Lola mo kaya naman pumayag ako sa gusto niyang mangyari. Dahil sigurado akong siya ang paniniwalaan mo at hindi ako."

Hindi siya makapagsalita dahil sa mga katotohanan na sinasabi nito.

"You know what, that day I began to questioned my worth as your girlfriend? May Mali ba sa akin? Prinsesa naman din naman ako pero bakit hindi pa rin pwede." Sandali siyang tumigil at pagkuwan ay humugot ng malalim na hininga. Her chest felt so heavy why she's reminiscing the past. "Kaya naman kitang ipaglaban sa Lola mo pero ibang usapan na kapag damay na rito ang anak natin. Nagmakaawa pa ako sa kaniya na kahit alang-alang nalang sa anak natin ay magawa niya akong tanggapin bit still that's not enough for her to accept me. I thought after I told her that I was pregnant with your child I could change her but I was wrong. She became ruthless. To the point na nagawa niyang pagbantaan akong papatayin niya ang anak natin."